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| Cruz questions Trump’s conservative bona fides, judgment | Cruz questions Trump’s conservative bona fides, judgment |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) slammed Donald Trump on Saturday, casting him as a false conservative and questioning the real estate mogul’s temperament and judgment. | Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) slammed Donald Trump on Saturday, casting him as a false conservative and questioning the real estate mogul’s temperament and judgment. |
| Cruz’s remarks open up a new front between the two Republican front-runners, with Cruz aggressively hitting the New Yorker for the first time while on the campaign trail. | Cruz’s remarks open up a new front between the two Republican front-runners, with Cruz aggressively hitting the New Yorker for the first time while on the campaign trail. |
| “Donald’s record does not match what he says as a candidate,” Cruz told reporters in Fort Mill, S.C. | “Donald’s record does not match what he says as a candidate,” Cruz told reporters in Fort Mill, S.C. |
| “It seems Donald has a lot of nervous energy. For whatever reason, Donald doesn’t react well when he’s going down in the polls,” Cruz said. | “It seems Donald has a lot of nervous energy. For whatever reason, Donald doesn’t react well when he’s going down in the polls,” Cruz said. |
| The remarks are part of a fast, aggressive escalation in a relationship that had been oddly chummy. For months, Cruz had effusively praised Trump, stating there was a benefit to having the New Yorker in the race. But that all changed during Thursday’s Republican debate, where Cruz struck back after Trump had, for weeks, questioned the Texas Republican’s ability to be president because of his Canadian birth and religion. | The remarks are part of a fast, aggressive escalation in a relationship that had been oddly chummy. For months, Cruz had effusively praised Trump, stating there was a benefit to having the New Yorker in the race. But that all changed during Thursday’s Republican debate, where Cruz struck back after Trump had, for weeks, questioned the Texas Republican’s ability to be president because of his Canadian birth and religion. |
| [Republicans now see a Trump-Cruz race, with time for a shift running out] | [Republicans now see a Trump-Cruz race, with time for a shift running out] |
| Trump escalated his attacks on Cruz in a series of tweets Saturday morning, stating that additional lawsuits will be filed questioning Cruz’s eligibility to be president, knocking him for not reporting loans from Goldman Sachs and Citibank that he used to fund his 2012 Senate campaign. Trump said Goldman “owns” Cruz and he will “Do anything they demand.” Cruz’s wife is on leave from her job as an executive director at Goldman. | Trump escalated his attacks on Cruz in a series of tweets Saturday morning, stating that additional lawsuits will be filed questioning Cruz’s eligibility to be president, knocking him for not reporting loans from Goldman Sachs and Citibank that he used to fund his 2012 Senate campaign. Trump said Goldman “owns” Cruz and he will “Do anything they demand.” Cruz’s wife is on leave from her job as an executive director at Goldman. |
| [Heidi Cruz is the high-powered spouse we’ve rarely seen since Hillary Clinton] | [Heidi Cruz is the high-powered spouse we’ve rarely seen since Hillary Clinton] |
| Trump called Cruz the “ultimate hypocrite,” linking to a story about how Cruz raised money at the New York home of two wealthy gay businessmen. | Trump called Cruz the “ultimate hypocrite,” linking to a story about how Cruz raised money at the New York home of two wealthy gay businessmen. |
| Cruz pointed to the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll that shows him beating Trump in a two-man race — although Trump leads the entire field. | Cruz pointed to the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll that shows him beating Trump in a two-man race — although Trump leads the entire field. |
| “And I imagine it pulled him out of bed this morning and sent him tweeting and tweeting and tweeting. I think in terms of a commander-in-chief, we ought to have someone who isn’t springing out of bed to tweet in a frantic response to the latest polls,” Cruz said. | “And I imagine it pulled him out of bed this morning and sent him tweeting and tweeting and tweeting. I think in terms of a commander-in-chief, we ought to have someone who isn’t springing out of bed to tweet in a frantic response to the latest polls,” Cruz said. |
| “I think the American people are looking for a commander-in-chief who is stable and steady and a calm hand to keep this country safe.” | “I think the American people are looking for a commander-in-chief who is stable and steady and a calm hand to keep this country safe.” |
| Cruz’s campaign also went on the offensive, tweeting and emailing a video of Trump on “Meet the Press” in 1999 where Trump said he is “very pro-choice” and talks about gay marriage and gays serving in the military through the lens of someone who lives in New York. | Cruz’s campaign also went on the offensive, tweeting and emailing a video of Trump on “Meet the Press” in 1999 where Trump said he is “very pro-choice” and talks about gay marriage and gays serving in the military through the lens of someone who lives in New York. |
| “I lived in New York City and Manhattan my whole life, so my views are a little bit different than if I lived in Iowa,” Trump said. | “I lived in New York City and Manhattan my whole life, so my views are a little bit different than if I lived in Iowa,” Trump said. |
| Trump’s campaign manager declined to discuss the candidates latest attacks on Cruz, pointing reporters to Trump’s series of tweets on Saturday. | |
| Cruz said this week that Trump represents “New York values,” stating during the debate that they are “socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay-marriage, focus around money and the media.” | Cruz said this week that Trump represents “New York values,” stating during the debate that they are “socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay-marriage, focus around money and the media.” |
| Trump offered an emotional defense of the city, speaking movingly of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Cruz apologized on Friday to New Yorkers — for their liberal elected officials. | Trump offered an emotional defense of the city, speaking movingly of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Cruz apologized on Friday to New Yorkers — for their liberal elected officials. |
| [Cruz apologizes to New Yorkers — for their liberal elected officials] | [Cruz apologizes to New Yorkers — for their liberal elected officials] |
| Cruz said Saturday that the “New York values” phrase came from Trump himself. | Cruz said Saturday that the “New York values” phrase came from Trump himself. |
| During the 1999 interview Trump described New York values as “being very, very, very pro-choice, supporting partial birth abortion and being open to gay marriage. That’s what Donald Trump described as New York values,” Cruz said. | During the 1999 interview Trump described New York values as “being very, very, very pro-choice, supporting partial birth abortion and being open to gay marriage. That’s what Donald Trump described as New York values,” Cruz said. |
| He also stated that Trump gave money to Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). | He also stated that Trump gave money to Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). |
| “It’s a fair inference that he supports their policies. So I understand that he is feeling defensive about my observation,” Cruz said. | “It’s a fair inference that he supports their policies. So I understand that he is feeling defensive about my observation,” Cruz said. |
| A Cruz aide said that the campaign will attempt to highlight contrasts between Cruz and Trump when it comes to “guiding principles” and records of accomplishment. This person said the campaign wants to point out differences between the two that show Cruz is “better prepared, that people can be confident that he has guiding principles to make critical decisions as president and commander-in-chief ,” this person said. | A Cruz aide said that the campaign will attempt to highlight contrasts between Cruz and Trump when it comes to “guiding principles” and records of accomplishment. This person said the campaign wants to point out differences between the two that show Cruz is “better prepared, that people can be confident that he has guiding principles to make critical decisions as president and commander-in-chief ,” this person said. |
| “I don’t think the voters have that same confidence in what Donald Trump’s guiding principles are other than he would make a deal and compromise on any given issue, and then he has policy proposals that just don’t seem serious,” this person said. | “I don’t think the voters have that same confidence in what Donald Trump’s guiding principles are other than he would make a deal and compromise on any given issue, and then he has policy proposals that just don’t seem serious,” this person said. |
| When asked why Cruz decided to go after Trump this week, the person said, “We have three weeks to go” until the Iowa caucuses. | When asked why Cruz decided to go after Trump this week, the person said, “We have three weeks to go” until the Iowa caucuses. |
| Cruz’s surrogates have also gone on the offensive, highlighting Trump’s lifestyle and multiple marriages. A campaign aide said that the campaign and candidate will continue to push issues with Trump. “Donald Trump started the fight with us, we’re glad to finish it,” this person said. | Cruz’s surrogates have also gone on the offensive, highlighting Trump’s lifestyle and multiple marriages. A campaign aide said that the campaign and candidate will continue to push issues with Trump. “Donald Trump started the fight with us, we’re glad to finish it,” this person said. |
| The shift comes after Trump questioned Cruz’s ability to run for president in an interview with The Washington Post this month. | The shift comes after Trump questioned Cruz’s ability to run for president in an interview with The Washington Post this month. |
| Cruz initially laughed off Trump’s assertions, stating that voters were interested in substantive issues, but he changed course after Trump continued to question his eligibility and played Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” at rallies as a not-so-subtle dig. As recently as last month, Cruz tweeted that he wasn’t going to engage in a “cage match” with Trump. | Cruz initially laughed off Trump’s assertions, stating that voters were interested in substantive issues, but he changed course after Trump continued to question his eligibility and played Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” at rallies as a not-so-subtle dig. As recently as last month, Cruz tweeted that he wasn’t going to engage in a “cage match” with Trump. |
| [The end of the Cruz-Trump bromance? Not if Cruz has his way.] | [The end of the Cruz-Trump bromance? Not if Cruz has his way.] |
| The two had played nice earlier in the campaign, with Cruz repeatedly calling Trump his friend, meeting with him in July at Trump Tower and inviting him on a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border that Cruz ultimately couldn’t make because of Senate votes. Cruz invited Trump to a Capitol Hill rally against the Iranian nuclear deal in September. Political observers saw Cruz as drafting close to the businessman with the hopes of inheriting his supporters should he fade from the race. But that hasn’t happened, and Cruz is now on the offensive, trying to cast himself as a candidate with superior judgment and values. | The two had played nice earlier in the campaign, with Cruz repeatedly calling Trump his friend, meeting with him in July at Trump Tower and inviting him on a trip to the U.S.-Mexico border that Cruz ultimately couldn’t make because of Senate votes. Cruz invited Trump to a Capitol Hill rally against the Iranian nuclear deal in September. Political observers saw Cruz as drafting close to the businessman with the hopes of inheriting his supporters should he fade from the race. But that hasn’t happened, and Cruz is now on the offensive, trying to cast himself as a candidate with superior judgment and values. |
| [How Ted Cruz wooed and won Donald Trump] | [How Ted Cruz wooed and won Donald Trump] |
| The feud may have its greatest impact on Cruz’s first nomination contest in Iowa, where the two candidates are in a tight race with widely overlapping constituencies. Cruz’s criticisms of New York values threatens to undermine Trump’s support among the state’s evangelical Christians, who have made up a majority of Iowa’s caucus-goers and fueled victories for Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee in the past two cycles. | The feud may have its greatest impact on Cruz’s first nomination contest in Iowa, where the two candidates are in a tight race with widely overlapping constituencies. Cruz’s criticisms of New York values threatens to undermine Trump’s support among the state’s evangelical Christians, who have made up a majority of Iowa’s caucus-goers and fueled victories for Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee in the past two cycles. |
| Cruz’s support is concentrated among white, born-again Christians, but he leads Trump by a modest 33 to 19 percent among this group in a Fox News poll this month, despite winning several key endorsements from evangelical leaders. The two candidates are also battling to appeal to voters’ frustrations with Washington and the national Republican Party. A Des Moines Register-Bloomberg News poll, which found Cruz at 25 percent and Trump at 22 percent, indicated two-thirds of each candidate’s supporters say they are backing anti-establishment Republicans, compared with just over half of all likely caucus-goers. | Cruz’s support is concentrated among white, born-again Christians, but he leads Trump by a modest 33 to 19 percent among this group in a Fox News poll this month, despite winning several key endorsements from evangelical leaders. The two candidates are also battling to appeal to voters’ frustrations with Washington and the national Republican Party. A Des Moines Register-Bloomberg News poll, which found Cruz at 25 percent and Trump at 22 percent, indicated two-thirds of each candidate’s supporters say they are backing anti-establishment Republicans, compared with just over half of all likely caucus-goers. |
| Cruz has spent the entirety of his campaign trying to gain the support of evangelical Christians and tea party conservatives. One of Cruz’s rivals for religious voters, Huckabee arrived at a tea party convention in Myrtle Beach, S.C., several hours before Cruz was set to speak. | |
| In the New York values debate, Huckabee might have been expected to pick Cruz’s side: In his pre-campaign book “God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy,” , the former Arkansas governor described New York as the capital of “Bubble-ville,” a city of filthy streets and empty churches. But Huckabee, who has watched Cruz capture many of the social conservative voters that backed his 2008 campaign, repeatedly defended Trump. | |
| “I think Donald Trump did a great job the other night of talking about the kind of values that we saw and the sacrifice of New Yorkers after 9/11,” said Huckabee, recalling his own visit to the “smoldering” World Trade Center. “I think everybody in the world was just absolutely amazed at how the people of that city pulled together and rebuilt.” | “I think Donald Trump did a great job the other night of talking about the kind of values that we saw and the sacrifice of New Yorkers after 9/11,” said Huckabee, recalling his own visit to the “smoldering” World Trade Center. “I think everybody in the world was just absolutely amazed at how the people of that city pulled together and rebuilt.” |
| When pressed on the eventual substance of Cruz’s comments — that New York was a bastion of liberals, and that Trump had once expressed liberal views on abortion and gay marriage — Huckabee continued to take the real estate mogul’s side. | When pressed on the eventual substance of Cruz’s comments — that New York was a bastion of liberals, and that Trump had once expressed liberal views on abortion and gay marriage — Huckabee continued to take the real estate mogul’s side. |
| “New York politics are different than they are in Arkansas, but it’s not my duty to explain them,” he said. “Look, if you want to talk about candidates who’ve switched positions, you’ve got a bunch of them out there who’ve changed on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and on ethanol, and on foreign policy. Donald Trump’s positions, if they’ve changed, have changed over the last 15 years. Not the last 15 minutes.” | “New York politics are different than they are in Arkansas, but it’s not my duty to explain them,” he said. “Look, if you want to talk about candidates who’ve switched positions, you’ve got a bunch of them out there who’ve changed on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and on ethanol, and on foreign policy. Donald Trump’s positions, if they’ve changed, have changed over the last 15 years. Not the last 15 minutes.” |
| Cruz got stuck in an elevator in South Carolina. | Cruz got stuck in an elevator in South Carolina. |
| When the doors finally opened, Cruz, a coffee cup in hand, looked at assembled media and said, laughing, “Okay, who put Donald Trump in charge of the elevators?” | When the doors finally opened, Cruz, a coffee cup in hand, looked at assembled media and said, laughing, “Okay, who put Donald Trump in charge of the elevators?” |
| Scott Clement, Patrick Svitek and Jenna Johnson contributed to this report. |